Abandoned Vehicle Removal

Depending on where the vehicle is abandoned, contact the appropriate office to take care of it.

Abandoned Vehicle Along a County Road

If a vehicle is abandoned on a County-maintained road, in the County right-of-way, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will arrange to have the vehicle removed. Anyone concerned about such a vehicle should report it to the local CHP office. The CHP will put a yellow tag on the car. After roughly 5 days, if the car hasn't been removed, the CHP will arrange to have it towed.

There are three California Highway Patrol offices which serve Placer County:

Auburn office - from the Placer County line in Roseville east to Canyon Way, at 916-663-3344

Gold Run office - from Canyon Way east to Donner Summit, at 530-389-2205

Truckee office - from the summit east to the neighboring county or state line, at 530-587-3518

Abandoned Vehicle on Private Property

If the vehicle is abandoned on the property of the person reporting it, the Code Enforcement Division of the Building Department handles removal. A "Vehicle Abatement Request" form needs to be submitted by the property owner. Code Enforcement staff also try to contact the legal owner of the vehicle, as identified by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The abatement process typically takes 45 to 60 days.

If the vehicle is not on the property of the person reporting it, a Complaint Form is required. Once the Form is submitted to the Code Enforcement Division, staff begins the investigation process. County staff cannot remove a vehicle from one person's property simply because someone else asks for the removal. They work with the property owner to determine if there is a code violation, and if so, to resolve the situation.

Abandoned Vehicle in a City

If the abandoned vehicle is located within city limits, you should contact the city or town government. Two exceptions to this are the City of Colfax and the Town of Loomis, which have arranged for Code Enforcement to handle abandoned vehicles. Phone numbers for the city offices are indicated below:

City of Auburn: 530-823-4211

City of Lincoln: 916-645-3314

City of Rocklin: 916-632-4000

City of Roseville Police Department: 916-774-5000 extension 1

If you have further questions, contact the Code Enforcement Division of the Building Department at 530-745-3050.